New Hypersonic Rocket Test Launched in Australia

A hypersonic rocket launches skyward during a March 22, 2010 test launch from the Woomera Test Range in Australia. The fight is part of the joint U.S.-Australian HiRise project to test and develop hypersonic vehicles for future aircraft transportation.

Credit: Australia Defense Science and Technology Organisation

Australian and United States
military scientists test launched a new hypersonic rocket this week, the latest
in a string of demonstration flights aimed at developing ultra-fast supersonic
aircraft.

The test rocket streaked through the atmosphere at speeds of
greater than Mach 5.5, which is equivalent to more than five times the speed of
sound.

The flight marked the second in a series of up to 10 planned
flights designed to advance research on high-speed
flights and hypersonic technology, said Greg Combet, Australia?s Minister
for Defense Personnel, Material and Science, in a Monday statement. An earlier
test was performed last May.

?Today?s flight represents a significant scientific
milestone, enabling scientists to collect fundamental data critical to the
design and development of an engine capable of sustained hypersonic flight,?
Combet said.

The flight, which launched from Australia?s Woomera Test
Range, was part of a joint U.S-Australian program called Hypersonic
International Flight Research Experimentation (HiFiRE). The program is aimed at
investigating the fundamental science of hypersonic
technology, as well as the potential future applications for next generation
flight systems.

The research is being conducted as part of a partnership
between the Defense Science and Technology Organization (DSTO) and the U.S. Air
Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).

In 2006, AFRL officials signed a $54 million deal with Australia?s
Defense Department to fund the six-year HiFire program. The project also
includes participation from NASA scientists, as well as U.S. industry and other
Australian
hypersonic scientists, AFRL officials have said.

The scientists are investigating the potential of air
vehicle and propulsion technologies that could one day lead to sustained
hypersonic flight.

Advances in hypersonic technology have enormous implications
for both Australia and the world. Hypersonic flight has the potential to
revolutionize global air travel, and could present more cost-effective ways of
accessing and launching communication satellites in space, researchers said.

?Thanks to the work of this dedicated team of DSTO
scientists, Australia is at the forefront of this technology,? Combet said.